1 C1 informal
To extinguish a flame or burning object by smothering or pressing it.
"He stuffed out the candle with his bare fingers."
separable
stuff out
C1 informal separable transitive
A rare variant meaning to extinguish something (especially a candle or cigarette) by smothering it.
In plain English
Put out a flame or fire by covering it or pressing it.
What does "stuff out" mean?
One main meaning — here's how to use it.
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To stuff (pack or press) something out — smothering a flame by pressing or covering.
Actually means
Put out a flame or fire by covering it or pressing it.
Usage tip
Very rare. Mostly encountered in dialectal or archaic usage. Learners should prefer 'put out', 'stub out', or 'snuff out' in almost all contexts.
Words that pair with "stuff out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
candle flame cigarette
How to conjugate "stuff out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
stuff out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
stuffs out
he/she/it
Past simple
stuffed out
yesterday
Past participle
stuffed out
have + pp
-ing form
stuffing out
continuous
Hear "stuff out" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "stuff out" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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